Chapter 17

READ WITH CAUTION** VIOLENT SCENE AHEAD— VERONICA A whiplash of iced water choked me as I coughed violently. White stars danced before my eyes, which intensified only as a hard slap followed on my face— "Wake up, you drab!" A harsh voice violently rang in my ear that suppressed with aching cries of a child. Despite significant physical weakness, the sound compelled me to open my heavy eyelids. "C-cad-dence!" I gasped. My daughter was held by a terrifying looking man, his fingers pinching her cheeks roughly. My little daughter was struggling and crying in pain. "N-oo! Ple-ease!" I cried out. I wanted to rush to her, but I'm hopelessly tied up to a chair with shackles. "Wh-y are yo-u doing this to us?" I screamed at them, only to be laughed at. I don't know for how long we're here, nor I have no time to think about our whereabouts. I'm, in fact, unsure who these men are. I only remember being cornered by a car, then waking up in this dark room, tied up, with my daughter in their hands. One of the other men grabbed me by the neck, tilting my head forcibly, "Take one last look at your bastard momma. Soon, you'll both be sent to hell." His thick accent twisted my heart violently. Panic seized me as my escape attempts proved futile. "Leave us! What have we done to deserve this? Please!" I pleaded desperately. "At least, spare my daughter! She is only a child!" They laughed in reply; it echoed in the cold, dark room. "She wants us to leave her bastard, brother. Then why don't you just 'leave' her." The guy holding my daughter sneered, "Well said, brother." He suddenly lifted her by the leg, and her body turned upside down. "NO!" An earth-shattering growl resonated through the walls as I moved restlessly in my seat. "LEAVE MY DAUGHTER!" I screamed. The horrifying scene and my daughter's cries are making me feel like a useless mother. "Ple-ease, please, please! I beg you!" I pleaded. "I-I do-on't know what you wa-ant from me, but do whatever you want with me, just leave my daughter, please!" My wails echoed off the walls as I struggled desperately to free myself. "Really?" The guy beside me chuckled, forcefully making me look up at him. "Don't worry, whore, we'll make several good uses of you and your bastard of a daughter. You'll fit perfectly in our sex dungeon." "No-no-no!" I shook my head, dread running through my veins. "Do-on't Ple-ease, please leave her, please." "Oh, sweetheart." He pulled my hair roughly, "this pretty mouth of yours is only good for begging to be funked mercilessly and not for some bastards! If you want we can fill you with some more as well." A cold smirk rose his lips as I gasped at the reality of his words. "No, please!" I whispered, gritting my teeth. The ache was so intense that I started to see stars and my vision darkening. I'm helpless at this point. I only want my daughter safe. Please, God! Why are you doing this to me? "Brother, why don't you take her bastard away. I don't want her to see her mother being a slut." His merciless words made me even more helpless. I saw the other man walking out of the room with my screaming daughter. "Noo! Don't take her away, please!" I restlessly moved. The sharpness of the shackle cut through my skin, but I didn't care. "You fucking asshole! Leave my daughter!" I couldn't help the bitter rage that came out of me, only to be slapped hard on the face. "Bitch!" He slapped me again, as I taste blood at the corner of my lips. He forcefully struck the chair, causing me to fall while restrained. The side of my head hit the hard floor, knocking the air out of me. A sudden darkness fell upon me, but I persevered in my struggle. I could still see that man walking away with my daughter... "N-o Ple-ease!" My voice barely a whisper, "Ple-ease Go-d!" Everything started spinning before my eyes. My crying daughter, my helpless state—everything started consuming me. At the moment, it felt that perhaps staying with Christian would be better; at least my daughter would have stayed safe. Why God, why? Why is this happening? What have I done to deserve such misfortune? What could my daughter have possibly done to warrant this? God! please save her! But it all felt futile, as darkness consumed me; my daughter's fearful cry echoed helplessly in my head as I lay on the floor. The sound of my clothes tearing apart closed my senses as tears of defeat and remorse streamed down my cheeks. Perhaps this is the end of me... A sudden, loud thud reverberated through the room, causing a sharp auditory impact. This was immediately followed by a deep growl and then heavy footsteps. My heart shuddered. What's happening!? I tried to look through my blurred vision... The man holding my daughter rushed toward me. "Get off the fucking place, now!" he urged his partner who had almost made me naked. Another loud burst—and the guy dropped, crying, Cadence on top of me. Regardless of whether my experience was real or a delusion preceding death, I desperately struggled to reach my daughter. However, a pair of legs stopped before me and picked up my daughter, making me struggle more. "Cadence!" I whispered. "Ple-ease, do-on't!" I pleaded. The figure bend before me, holding my face. A warm and familiar touch compelled me to look up. And then I see him— a pair of deep blue eyes staring at me. His striking features instill a sense of hope within me. "Christian—" I gasped. My eyes trailed to his arms, which were holding my daughter. An involuntary breath escaped me. Finally, she's in safe hands. And soon, I succumbed to a deep, dark hollow.